6/14/12. Prov 25B. Be A Good Christian Neighbor
6/14/12. Prov 25B. Be A Good Christian Neighbor
Proverbs 25:16-28 Key Verse: 25:21
Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Thursday, June 14, 2012
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink”
Dear Lord, thank you for blessing my day with lot’s of words of God and great spiritual fellowship with pastor’s and Bible students and other fellow Christians. Thank you for providing such good Christian fellowship. May you bear much fruit through our fellowship together. May you bear much fruit in the hospital among all the nurses. Please raise up servants of God for the First Nations tribes in Ontario. Please grant me one word of God to hold onto. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. If your enemy is thirsty, give him water (16-22).
The author tells us to not take too much of a good thing. Verse 16 reads, “If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.” There are a lot of nice things to do around DeKalb area this summer. They are all good to go to. Attending everything is like tasting honey. But too much of it will make us sick to the stomach. We need to fill our stomachs with the fruit and vegetables of the gospel.
This next section has to do with our relationships with our neighbors. Look at verse 17, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house— too much of you, and they will hate you. 18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor. 19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble. 20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” God says that we must love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This proverb gives us some practical advice for doing this. We must not exploit our neighbor and take advantage of our neighbor. We must never slander our neighbor. We must not take things from our neighbor when they need it. This is selfishness and this is hurting others. We also must be sensitive to our neighbor’s emotional and spiritual needs. I pray that God may make me into a good neighbor to others around me, starting with my own family members.
Our neighbors may also be one of our enemies. Look at verse 21, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” We usually want to get even with our enemies and make them suffer as much as we suffer if not more. But we must actually be kind to our enemy. This will be more effective quelling his/her aggressive behavior and reveals Jesus. Love is a more effective weapon. We will also be rewarded by God for doing the “Christian thing.”
2. Have self-control (23-28).
There are more verses on how to love your neighbor. Look at verses 23-28 which reads, “Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look. 24 Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. 26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked. 27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep. 28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” We must not have a sly tongue. We must quarrel with our spouses. We need to give positive and good news to others. We must never compromise with the world but be shepherds for the world. We must also have self control when we deal with our neighbors. I need to have self control when dealing with my family. I must also not provoke those who are close to me, but show them the love of God. Lord, help me to be a good Christian neighbor to those who are close to me.
Prayer: Lord, give me your heart to be a good Christian neighbor to those you have put into my life, even to my enemies.
One Word: Glorify Jesus in our relationships.
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